Freewinds
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The M/V Freewinds is a cruise ship operated by the Church of Scientology. Its home port is Curaçao, and it frequents the Netherlands Antilles and the Caribbean.
Contents |
[edit] History and statistics
The vessel was built in Turku, Finland, in 1968 as one of a series of four car ferries (the other three were Finnpartner, Finnhansa and Prins Hamlet). She was originally intended for use on the Bremerhaven, Germany, to Harwich, England, route with the Swedish company Lion Ferry but passenger demand proved insufficient.
The ship was sold before completion to Wallenius Lines, which renamed it as Bohème following the company policy of naming its ships after operas. It was redesigned as a cruise ship, with cabins added to the planned car decks, though the vessel never had bow or stern doors fitted. Bohème was chartered to Commodore Cruise Line and was used to run seven-night trips out of Miami.[1]
It was purchased by Majestic Cruise Lines, a Church of Scientology corporation, in 1986 and subsequently was renamed the Freewinds in its home port of Curaçao. With a tonnage of 9780 gross, the ship has a passenger capacity of 360 persons and is registered in Panama. [2]
[edit] Scientology acquisition and ownership
In 1984, the Church of Scientology's parent body, the Church of Scientology International (CSI), decided to obtain a ship on which to deliver high-level Scientology courses. According to a statement by the Church,
CSI believed that an ocean-going vessel would be the most appropriate facility for ministering New OT VIII because this advanced level of religious service requires a completely safe, aesthetic and distraction-free environment and because L. Ron Hubbard, the religion's founder, had researched and ministered the first OT levels aboard a ship in the late 1960s. A ship therefore would have particular religious significance to Scientologists. [3]
An entity called the Flag Ship Trust (FST) was formed in December 1985 with the aid of a $5 million donation from the International Association of Scientologists. In September 1986, the Flag Ship Trust purchased Bohème, renamed it Freewinds and refitted it to enable its use for Scientology purposes. The vessel was put into service in June 1988.
The ownership and management of the vessel was organized through a complicated web of Scientology-run corporations and entities, most of which are owned by the Flag Ship Trust. It is owned by San Donate Properties, a Panamanian corporation of which FST is the sole shareholder. Another FST-owned Panamanian corporation, Transcorp Services, owns the mortgage on the Freewinds. FSS Organization was a Netherlands Antilles corporation responsible for paying certain taxes on the vessel to the Netherlands Antilles authorities. Scientology courses are delivered aboard the vessel by the Flag Ship Service Organization (FSSO), in effect a floating branch of the Church of Scientology. Majestic Cruise Lines is a Panamanian corporation which operates the Freewinds, receiving payment from FSSO for the use of the ship. MCL Services is a Netherlands Antilles corporation which provides shore support and liaison services for Majestic Cruise Lines and FSSO from the Freewinds' home port, Curacao.
Following the Church of Scientology's controversial tax exemption agreement with the United States Internal Revenue Service in 1993, these arrangements were simplified. Majestic Cruise Lines' responsibilities were to be transferred to FSSO, with Majestic itself being dissolved, and FSS Organization was dissolved as it was no longer required for Netherlands Antilles tax reporting purposes. [3] However, Majestic remains in existence and is still actively billing visitors to the Freewinds. [4]
The Freewinds is the fifth ship to have been owned by the Church of Scientology; the other four were the Royal Scotman (later Apollo), the Enchanter (later Diana), the Avon River (later Athena) and the Nekambi, all of which have apparently now been scrapped.
[edit] Scientology usage
The Freewinds is the exclusive training center for OT VIII (Operating Thetan Level 8), the highest level of Scientology and the last of the published OT levels. The next levels OT IX and OT X have not been released yet; the Church claims that L. Ron Hubbard (Scientology's founder) has written levels up to OT XV. Hubbard wrote that the higher OT levels will be released when existing "orgs" reach "Saint Hill Manor" size. Initiates who have reached the highest levels must receive their training on the Freewinds, as the Church does not allow it to take place in any other location.
Besides the OT VIII training, the Freewinds is used for delivering lower-level classes and auditing services. Freewinds is also used as a recreational vessel for Scientologists, including celebrities such as Tom Cruise. The ship hosts a "Freewinds Maiden Voyage" each July (sic) as an "OT Summit" for high-ranking Scientologists at which Scientology accomplishments and plans for the future are publicly celebrated. [5]
In addition to its use as a religious retreat for Scientologists, the Freewinds hosts local functions in the ports it frequents, such as jazz concerts in Curaçao. It also caters to different international conferences and events.
The Church of Scientology promotes courses on the Freewinds through the eponymous Freewinds magazine. As of 2002, the packages offered by the Freewinds-based Flag Ship Service Organization, available only to International Association of Scientologists lifetime members, were as follows: [6]
-
OT Debug Service Intro Package * $4,951.28 Additional accommodation for OT Debug Service Intro Package $925.00/week OT Hatting Info Package * $1,810.78 OT Millennium Convention Package * $2,675.00 Command of Theta OT Hatting Course $500.00 Doctorate Course for OTs $2,160.00 New OT VIII - Truth Revealed course $10,000.00
- * Includes one week's accommodation; not included in other courses
[edit] Criticism
Former Scientologist and architect Lawrence Woodcraft stated in an affidavit in 2001 that the ship contains vast amounts of deadly crocidolite asbestos [1]. In the affidavit, he referred to it as a "blue cloud of death" that was released during a remodeling process. "Blue asbestos" is regarded as even more deadly than other types of asbestos, especially when it is dry and given the chance to flake. Removing asbestos can be a difficult and expensive task, and is an issue of major environmental concern for shipbreakers. In his affidavit, Woodcraft states that the asbestos was handled in such a way that it posed a danger to people and not according to the law. He also states that Church leaders, when told about the asbestos, responded that it was not dangerous because L. Ron Hubbard had never said it was.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Commodore Cruise Line - Cruise Ship Postcards
- ^ International Shipping Partners, M/V Freewinds. Retrieved on August 11, 2006.
- ^ a b Flag Ship Trust Application for Recognition of Exemption, IRS Form 1023, August 18, 1993
- ^ Caroline Letkeman, Flag Ship Service Organization invoice
- ^ "THE FREEWINDS MAIDEN VOYAGE XVII - THE LANDMARK CRUISE FROM WHICH NOTHING WILL EVER BE THE SAME AGAIN", Impact magazine no. 111, Oct 2005
- ^ Freewinds issue 45, circa March 2002
